Aesthetically pleasing as they may be, windows are typically a drain on a building's energy efficiency. Enter Smart Energy Glass, a new innovation from Dutch Peer+ that turns windows into solar energy collectors with a customisable appearance.
Not only are Smart Energy Glass windows available in several colours, but they can switch between three modes: dark, bright and privacy, which scatters the light passing through. Even better, the glass serves to collect solar energy, which can then be used directly or fed back to the grid.
Users can control the darkness mode of the windows at will, depending on light conditions and energy concerns. Privacy mode generates the most energy, while bright mode is the least productive. Corporate logos can even be incorporated into the glass, Peer+ says.
Peer+ is currently working on its first pilots in the Netherlands, and is seeking further projects for testing. One to get in on early for a little eco-bounty of your own...? (Related: Thin, flexible solar paneling — Solar panels shaped like clay roof tiles.)
Website: www.peerplus.nl
Contact: info@peerplus.nl
Spotted by: Simonn Jagers
This post is sponsored by PG&E (the Pacific Gas and Electric Company) as part of their wider focus on fighting climate change. As always, Springwise is adamant about maintaining editorial objectivity—PG&E asked us to write about energy conservation, but had no further involvement in the content of this or other posts.
Check out PG&E's We Can Do This website for more, including a feature on the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., a sustainable brewery.
